Community Living
For the residents of Xuexi Alley, a tree or a tile can serve as a spiritual connection to their ancestors many generations ago. Some locals move downtown, but even then most are reluctant to sell their ancestral home. They continue to cherish the atmosphere of the community and feel happy when coming back to deal with their affairs.
“If you’ve got a problem, look to the community,” is an old local saying. It’s more relevant today than ever. Bai and her team, as residents’ representatives to the government, are entrusted with a variety of tasks and privy to the particulars of local lives. They serve with purpose, and make all efforts to win the best for their community.
The community has set up special funds to help the unemployed, disabled and elderly. Those in difficulty can obtain necessities from the community’s Loving Supermarket. Bai’s team also helps able residents seek employment opportunities through a careers service. The community cooperates closely with the mosques to fulfill the spiritual needs of local believers.
The community also runs a variety of training classes. “Now more and more people come to take the training classes, especially those on parenting, science and health,” said Bai. “You can’t find a seat if you’re late.”
As gaining a solid education becomes even more important to landing a well-paying job, greater numbers of children in the community are sitting – and excelling in – the national college entrance exam. When students receive offers, the community does its best to provide them with financial support through scholarships and the like. The Xuexixiang community is the first to provide such student funding options in all of Xi’an. In the past six years, the community has provided over RMB 300,000 in student scholarships.
In recent years, Xuexi Alley has set up a community service hall, a library, an activities room for children, and the Star and Sunshine Home for children with intellectual disabilities.
The interplay between the different ethnic groups on Xuexi Alley should serve as a good example to the rest of the nation. There, the Han, China’s largest ethnic group by far, is a minority group. The festivals and holidays enjoyed by all ethnic groups present are respected.
“Ethnic unity refers to unity within an ethnic group as well as among different ethnic groups and different social strata,” said Bai. “In our community, the Hui people don’t celebrate Han festivals. But we [the Hui] send gifts and best wishes to them on big festivals like the Dragon Boat Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Spring Festival and Lantern Festival. When people pass away, no matter Hui or Han, everyone attends the funeral. We send wreaths to Han and visit the cemetery of the Hui, according to different customs. Tolerance is the prime tradition of our community.”
In April, dozens of tables are set up in the open air, serving various dishes made by residents themselves. Known as the 100-family Feast, today the name is an understatement; the occasion attracts members of the whole community, who, on hearing the cry “Dinner is served!” take their seats next to their neighbors and friends for an afternoon of good food and merriment.
“As the generations pile on top of each other, friction between neighbors inevitably develop,” Bai said. “But at the feast, people have the opportunity to sit down together, eat, drink, and discuss the issues. It diffuses tensions in the community, and everyone feels much closer afterwards.”
This year marks the fourth year of the modern 100-family Feast. By noon, the street was full of locals. Some wore costumes; others sang folk songs.
Sixty-six-year-old Ha Muzhai, in between bouts of singing, said: “Our community is very close. Han, Hui; we’re all the same. Living here is great!” And with that pronouncement, he headed off, half skipping, half dancing, to take his seat among friends and wait for the feast to begin.
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